Material washing machine



NOV. 12, 1957 c, GQRMAN MATERIAL WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1955 vll I llllllllill i I INVENTOR. HAROLD 0. 6012mm, M 2, M

ATTORNEK 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed June '7, 1955 INVENTOR. HARuw' C. GoRmAN,

ATTOFZNEK 2,812,622 MATERIAL WASHING MACHINE Haroid C. Gorman, Russellville, Ind.

Application June 7, 1955, Serial No. 513,665

7 Claims. (Cl. 51--164) This invention relates to a material washing apparatus. A principal object of this invention is to provide a material washing apparatus having a very high capacity whereby a comparatively large volume of material can be washed per unit of time interval of operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved material washing apparatus having novel means for delivering a stream of washing fluid against the material to be washed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a material washing machine having novel means for draining oii excess washing liquid from the washed material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel material washing apparatus which is simple in construction, eilicient in operation and dependable in use.

Further objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved material washing apparatus in position to deliver washed material to a suitable receptacle;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken from the right-hand side of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the drum and associated structure of my apparatus, taken from the left-hand side of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, an endless conveyor belt is shown, by means of which material 11 to be washed may be fed to a hopper 12. Hopper 12 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as having longitudinal walls 13 and 14, respectively, and end walls 15 and 16, respectively. Hopper 12 is fixedly supported on a horizontally disposed cylindrical, stationary, hollow drum member 17. The lowermost edges of walls 13, 14, 15 and 16 together form a mouth coextensive with an intake opening 18 on the periphery of drum 17. As is apparent from the draw ing, each of the hopper walls directs material to be washed from the discharge end of conveyor belt 10 through intake opening 18.

A chamber 2% is provided by an open-sided box member 26 encompassing a peripheral portion 27 of drum 17 Open-sided box member 26 is formed by the lower portion of hopper wall 114 interfitting with a member made up of intcrfitting plates 21, 22, 23 and 24. The points of relative engagement between plates 21, 22, 23, 24, wall portion 25 and the outer periphery of drum 17 are fluid-tight. It is apparent that open-sided box member 26 encompasses a substantial area of the outer periphery of drum 17.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the lower portion 25 of hopper wall 14 extends toward the periphery of drum 17 from the point of engagement of wall portion 25 with nited States Patent M 2,812,622 Ce Patented Nov. 12,1957

plate 22. Wall portion 25 lies in a plane which forms an acute included angle A with the tangent of the periphery of drum 17 at the immediate point of intersection of the plane of wall portion 25 and the periphery of the drum. The lowermost edge of hopper wall portion 25 terminates short of the periphery of drum 17 as shown in Fig. 2 to provide an elongated aperture 30 adjacent intake opening 18 of drum 17. Aperture 30 extends the full length of hopper wall portion 25, and the periphery of drum 17 forms with wall portion 25 an elongated nozzle. Chamber 20 is filled with washing fluid such as water, and is provided with a source (not shown) of washing fluid under pressure through conduit 31 which communicates with port 29 in plate 23. The washing fluid under pressure in chamber 20 passes out of the chamber through aperture 30 in a stream directed'substantially tangentially with respect to the periphery of drum 1'7 and across intake opening 18. Thereby, this stream of washing fluid is forcefully delivered against the material to be washed as it enters intake opening 18.

Stationary drum 17 may be fixedly supported by suitably secured frame members 33 and 34. As shown in Fig. 1, frame members 33 and 34 provide a convenient support for shaft 35 which rotatably supports idling roller 36 over which conveyor belt 10 rides.

Hollow, cylindrical drrum member 17 is closed at each end by means ofend plates 40 and 41, respectively. A discharge opening 42 is provided in the periphery of drum 17. A rotor, indicated generally by the reference numeral 45, is mounted in the drum. Therotor comprises a shaft 46 jonrnalled in bearings 47 and 48, and penetrating the end plates 40 and 41 of the drum 17. Within the drum, spaced and discs or plates 50 and 51 are secured to shaft 46 and hubs 53, 53 by suitable means such as welding. Rotor end discs 50 and 51 are in rela tively fixed relationship with a plurality of mutually spaced, materiahrnoving paddles or vanes 52 extending therebetween. Each of paddles 52 terminates radially outwardly adjacent the inner periphery of hollow drum 17. Each of the paddles presents a substantially flat surface 54 which, when moved into registry with the lower edge 43 of discharge opening 42, preferably lies at an angle B of substantially 20 with the horizontal. Preferably, but not necessarily, the lowermost edge 43 of discharge opening 42 lies substantially in the horizontal plane including the axis of rotation of rotor shaft 46.

Rotor shaft 46 has fixedly secured thereto a sprocket 56 which is driven by a chain 57 which passes over a driving sprocket 58. Sprocket 58 is driven by a prime mover 59 which may include a housing 60 encasing a motor and suitable in-line speed reducing means (not shown). The speed reducing means drives shaft 63 to which sprocket 58 is suitably secured. Prime mover 59 may be mounted on frame members 61 and 62 which are suitably fixed to and provide further support for stationary drum 17.

End plate 56 is foraminous, the foramina preferably taking the form of a series of small, spaced apertures 65. Apertures 65 are sufiiciently small to prevent passage therethrough of the material being washed, and sufliciently large to permit ready egress from between the rotor end plates of washing liquid as it collects in the bottom por tion of drum 17. Rotor end disc 51 may, or may not be foraminous. It is apparent, therefore, that the end discs substantially confine the material 11 in the zone of influence of vanes 52 Means for draining off washing liquid from the drum is provided which may take the form of an aperture 67 in end plate 41 of drum 17, within which a suitable screen 68 is disposed. A conduit '69 in communication with aperture 67 leads to a sewer or the like for ultimate disposal of the washing liquid. i.

As vanes or paddles 52 revolve around the inner periphery of drum 17, they successively engage and carry along therewith a substantial quantity of the material 11. As each of the material-carrying paddles moves into registry with discharge opening 42 in drum 17, the carried material flows outwardly through opening 42. As each paddle continues to revolve, it moves past discharge opening 42 and subsequently past intake opening 18 and thence downwardly to engage another quantity of material 11 which has fallen to the bottom portion of drum 17. With reference to Fig. 2, it is noted that passage of each of the paddles past intake opening 18 in the drum does not impede the flow of material 11 through the intake opening, since, while moving past opening 18, each of the paddles is disposed substantially parallel to the flow of material 11 through this opening.

For delivery of the washed material, such, for example, as to a suitable receptacle 70, which may be a truck, or other load-carrying means, I provide a delivery means which may take the form of an inclined member 71. Member 71 leads from the lower edge 43 of discharge opening 42 and preferably takes the form of a framed screen member having a mesh sufliciently small to prevent passage therethrough of the washed material, but permitting drainage therethrough of washing liquid discharged from opening 42 concomitantly with the washed material. The washing liquid which drains through member 71 falls to a receiver such as a chute 72 which is inclined downwardly and leads to an inclined disposal flume 73.

The operation of my improved material washing apparatus should be clear from the foregoing description; however, a brief summary may be in order. As the material to be washed falls off conveyor belt 10, it drops into the hopper 12. The hopper directs the falling material through the stream of washing liquid under pressure issuing from aperture 30 in chamber 20, and the spent washing liquid with the material 11 enters the interior of drum 17 through intake opening 18. The material and the spent washing liquid fall to the bottom of drum 17, and, as paddles 52 revolve about the axis of rotor shaft 46, they successively engage and carry along therewith a substantial quantity of the material 11. As the paddles successively travel through the mass of the material 11 which lies in the bottom of the drum, submerged in the washing liquid therein, they agitate and tumble that mass, causing the individual particles or pieces of the mass to strike and rub against each other and against the elements of the mechanism, whereby, by erosion and attrition, fine par ticles of the material, such as stone dust, for instance, as well as earth and other foreign matter, will be effectively dislodged from the larger pieces, and will ultimately be carried off, to a substantial degree, by the flowing liquid being continuously discharged through the port or aperture 67. Any such dislodged material which may be carried, by a paddle, to the opening 42, will, of course, be free to pass through the screen 71 with the waste water, to be carried away through the disposal flume 73. Washing liquid which collects in the bottom of drum 17 drains through foraminous rotor end disc 50, and drains out of drum 17 through aperture 67 to conduit 69. As each of paddles 52, with a quantity of material 11 disposed thereon, moves into registry with discharge opening 42 in drum 17, it is inclined downwardly and outwardly at an angle of 20 whereby the carried material flows off that paddle, through discharge opening 42 and downwardly along member 71 from which the washed material may be deposited in a suitable receptacle 70. Most of any washing liquid discharged from opening 42 in drum 17 passes downwardly through screen member 71 as the washed material flows therealong, and falls into chute 72 and flows downwardly to disposal flume 73.

Merely byway of example, drum 17 may be constructed with approximately a four foot length and water box 26 may be approximately two feet in length. Elongated aperture 30 may suitably be of a width of approximately three-eighths of an inch. In order to attain satisfactory results, I have found it best to drive shaft 46 at approximately 12 /2 R. P. M. I have tried other speeds and have found that, for instance a speed of 16 R. P. M. results in approximately twenty percent of the washed material being carried past discharge opening 42 in the drum; while a speed of 12 /2 R. P. M. results in only about five percent being carried past.

It will be seen that I have provided a highly efficient material washing apparatus which is capable of handling a high capacity of many different types and varieties of material such, for example, as gravel or crushed stone.

I claim as my invention:

1. A material washing apparatus comprising a hollow drum, a rotor mounted for rotation within said drum, a plurality of spaced paddles provided by said rotor, each of said paddles including a surface terminating radially outwardly adjacent the inner periphery of said hollow drum, said hollow drum providing an intake opening, means for delivering a flow of washing fluid under pressure against material fed through said intake opening, said hollow drum providing a discharge opening located on its periphery such that as the radially outward terminus of said surface of each of the paddles is rotated into registry with said discharge opening, the surface of that paddle is downwardly and outwardly inclined and washed material disposed thereon flows outwardly through said discharge opening.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface of each of said paddles is inclined at an angle of approximately 20 with the horizontal as it is rotated into registry with said discharge opening.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lowermost edge of said discharge opening is disposed substantially in the horizontal plane including the axis of rotation of said rotor.

4. A material washing apparatus comprising a hollow member having an intake opening, a hopper for the deposit of material to be washed, said hopper having a wall for directing said material through said intake opening, a member having a first portion in fluid-tight engagement with the exterior of said hollow member and a second portion in fluid-tight engagement with said hopper wall to form a chamber, means providing said chamber with a supply of washing fluid under pressure, said hopper wall extending toward and terminating short of the exterior of said hollow member to provide an aperture adjacent said intake opening for delivering said washing fluid under pressure from said chamber against the material deposited in said hopper, and means within said hollow member for discharging said material from the interior of said hollow member.

5. A material washing apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed, hollow, cylindrical drum having an intake opening on its periphery, a hopper for the deposit of material to be washed, said hopper having a wall for directing said material through said intake opening, a member having a first portion in fluid-tight engagement with the periphery of said drum and a second portion in fluid-tight engagement with said hopper wall to form a chamber, means providing said chamber with a supply of washing fluid under pressure, a portion of said hopper wall extending toward the periphery of said drum from the point of engagement of said wall with said second portion of said member, lying in a plane which forms an acute included angle with the tangent of said drum periphery at the immediate point of intersection of said plane and said periphery, and terminating short of the periphery of said drum to provide an elongated nozzle adjacent said intake opening for delivering said washing fluid under pressure from said chamber substantially tangentially with respect to the drum periphery against the material as it passes through said intake opening, and means within said hollow drum for discharging said material from the interior of said hollow drum.

6. A material washing apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed, hollow drum having closed ends, said drum providing an intake opening and one of said closed ends providing a drain aperture, means for bringing a supply of liquid into washing contact with material fed through said intake opening, said hollow drumproviding a material discharge opening, means within said hollow drum for discharging said material from the interior of said hollow drum through said discharge opening, said last-mentioned means comprising a rotor mounted for rotation Within said drum, said rotor including a pair of spaced end discs in relatively fixed relationship with a plurality of mutually spaced, material-moving paddles extending therebetween, one of said end discs being foraminous to permit washing liquid collected in the bottom of said drum to drain past said one end disc and through said drain aperture, while the end discs substantially confine said material in the zone of influence of said materialmoving paddles.

7. A material washing apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed, hollow, cylindrical drum having closed ends, said drum providing an intake opening on its periphery and a lower portion of one of said closed ends providing a drain aperture, means for bringing a supply of liquid into washing contact with material fed through said intake opening, said hollow drurn further providing a material discharge opening, means within said hollow drum for discharging said material from the interior of said hollow drum through said discharge opening, said last-mentioned means comprising a rotor mounted for rotation within said drum, said rotor including a pair of end discs held in spaced relationship by a plurality of mutually spaced, material-moving paddles, each of said paddles being inclined at an angle of approximately 20 with the horizontal as it is rotated into registry with said discharge opening, one of said end discs being foraminous to permit washing liquid collected in the bottom of said drum to drain past said one end disc and through said drain aperture while said discs substantially confine said material in the zone of influence of said materialmoving paddles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,284 Sells May 29, 1923 1,615,622 Greene Jan. 25, 1927 1,870,159 Anderson Aug. 2, 1932 2,425,984 Blackman Aug. 19, 1947 

